1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to material-handling systems. More particularly, the present invention is an air-driven container twisting system for changing orientation of containers moving through a material-handling system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Pneumatic or air-powered conveyors are sometimes used in material-handling systems. These implementations include high-speed material-handling systems that use air powered conveyors to move containers such as empty cans through the systems to different locations within a container filling and/or packaging facility. Since different procedures are performed to containers at different locations in the facility, it can be beneficial to have containers oriented in different ways at the different locations depending on the procedure being performed at particular locations. However mechanically reorienting containers with mechanically actuating reorienting devices takes time to actuate such devices, which tend to be complex and expensive. This presents challenges, especially in systems designed to move the containers continuously and at high-speeds, such as in pneumatic conveyance systems. Attempts have been made to reorient containers in pneumatic conveying systems without disrupting the continuous flow of the containers through the conveying systems, which typically implement steep downhill segments of guides that rotate the containers moving from elevating inlets to lower outlets with the assistance of gravity to overcome velocity losses from frictional drag on the guides while rotating. However, providing inlets and outlets at different heights within the conveying systems using gravity assist reorienting can present challenges for aligning upstream and downstream components of the material handling systems.